SHOW HOURS

Introducing the dynamic duo, John & Carol Watkins! They're the heart and soul behind Loving Stitches and the fabulous Quilting & Fiber Art Show! Since July 8, 1996, their brick-and-mortar haven has been a cozy nest of love, quilts, sewing, and friendships for nearly 30 years. Nestled in Cumberland County, this treasure trove not only offers top-notch BERNINA machines, sewing, embroidery, and quilting goodies but also stitches together the Fayetteville community and national service projects. 

 Meghann's been dancing with sewing machines for nearly 29 years, ever since she took a "Learn to Machine Sew" class with the fabulous Carol Watkins at the tender age of 11. Fast forward to 2023, and she's now the maestro of Longarm Quilting and the proud captain of the Loving Stitches Quilting department. But wait, there's more! Meghann's a fiber arts aficionado, dabbling in Quilting, Crochet, Knitting, Needle-point, and a whole lot more. She even moonlights with paper, getting crafty with Scrap-Booking!

 Meet Tanja, our dazzling German wunderkind! With a jaw-dropping 25 years in the Longarm quilting game, she’s the queen of free-motion and the empress of Stippling. Though she’s stepped back a bit into semi-retirement, she still sprinkles her quilting magic part-time at Loving Stitches. Nowadays, Tanja’s swapped some of her quilting for farm life, surrounded by her beloved animals. With her own Longarm in tow, she continues crafting quilt tops that are nothing short of spectacular. Tanja breezes into the shop like a whirlwind, bringing her boundless energy, and we’re always thrilled when she does! 

 Give a big How-Do-you-Do to Pete.  

Pete has been a Sewing machine technician for over 10 years. He’s been taking things apart and fixing them for most of his life. Somehow, Pete came to us and we quickly realized that his sewing machine whisperer abilities were astronomical and he could calm most of them down with a touch of his magical hands. He is full-time a lead technician at Loving Stitches and can fix, repair or calm any brand of domestic machine. In his off time, he enjoys Pina Coladas and getting caught in the rain.

 Mary Hupp is an experienced educator and passionate quilter with a specialty in bag making, a craft she’s been perfecting since 2008.

With over 17 years in the field, Mary has developed an expert understanding of bag construction.

She excels at breaking down complex patterns from well-known designers, transforming intricate instructions into clear, easy-to-follow steps that empower her students.

Whether it’s a zipper or a stitch, Mary knows how to make the “puzzle” of bag making fit together perfectly.

 I was introduced to sewing at the age of 5 by my grandmother, who let me use her treadle machine to make aprons. This early experience sparked a lifelong passion for creating with fabric. I began by making my own clothes and moved on to everything from men’s pants to leisure suits (remember those?), then later, I sewed for my children. Quilting soon followed as a natural extension of my creativity, and I learned to enjoy machine embroidery when I created my daughters' wedding dresses.

After retiring from a career in computer support, I started teaching sewing and quilting, including garment construction, serger techniques, and Bernina digitizing software. I find joy in helping students develop their skills, whether they’re learning the basics or tackling more advanced projects. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing someone catch the sewing bug and gain confidence in their craft.

 I began sewing at early age using a Singer Treadle Sewing Machine. I started out sewing mainly apparel for myself and later for my daughter. I have always loved to sew and being creative. After retiring from local government, a wonderful person at church inspired me to try my hand at making quilts and embroidery. Once I created my first quilt and embroidery project I was hooked. Through the encouragement of the owner of Loving Stitches Quilt Shop, I have been teaching classes for the past several years. The classes included embroidery, ByAnnie bags, bench pillows, wall hangings and other sewing projects, as well as assisting with many of the events held at the shop. 

Katharine  has been sewing and quilting for nearly 40 years.  Katharine’s focus will be on sewing machine applique, but she is also well versed in the many styles of embroidered applique and has completed an Anita Good Design Foundations course and has completed numerous applique projects via embroidery machine. She is well versed in all things applique. Katharine has served as a professor for the past 33 years and outside of quilting, her hobbies include spoiling her dogs and reading.